Hailing from Beavertown, Oregon, singer guitarist Brandon Summers and drummer-keyboardist Benjamin Weikel started playing together in 1996. Three years later, the duo self-produced their first EP and officially formed The Helio Sequence. After years of crafting their musical style, the duo garnered a significant amount of recognition with the success of Keep Your Eyes Ahead (Sub Pop Records).

If Aaron Embry's name doesn't sound familiar, the names of his previous collaborators certainly will. Embry recently played as a pianist in Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, but also worked with Elliott Smith, Willie Nelson and Emmylou Harris. Multifacted and multi-talented, in 2009 alone, Embry both composed a score for Yukio Mishima's silent film, Patriotism, and also produced Avi Buffalo's debut album. Yet throughout his diverse, nearly two-decade career, Embry never released a solo album - until now.

Father John Misty is quite a character. And he is a character invented by Josh Tillman to hang his rock and roll persona on.

Since its formation in 2006, Hey Marseilles has defied easy categorization, drawing from jazz, folk, and indie pop to craft an ornate sound uniquely its own. In fact, Hey Marseilles’s sound includes symphonic cello, drumbourine, accordion, and viola in addition to the standard lineup of guitar, bass, and drums.

CD of the Month, February, 2013

2013 is shaping up to be a great year for Philadelphia and the musicians who craft the soundtrack for the city. One early indicator is the new album from Philly singer-songwriter Birdie Busch and her band The Greatest Night. Birdie’s fourth full-length album further embraces her charming storytelling, but amidst a sonic backdrop that is all at once more confident and dynamic.

"Foxygen blend their love of classic rock and psychedelic music in to something fresh and new and very well crafted. They manage to spin the past into the future like magicians."

I Bet on Sky, the recent release by alt-rock band Dinosaur Jr. has generated highly favorable reviews for its explosive energy and its perfect use of feedback and distortion. Attempting to reemerge in the rock scene, the band spent a significant amount of time crafting and strategically engineering its albums following the trio’s reunion. Performing at a variety of well-known music venues, the trio has been sharpening their musical talent in order to capture the attention of all music aficionados.

Some may say that Get Up! is a new direction for Ben Harper, but it may actually be better labeled as a new beginning.

Tanlines, the drum and guitar plus electronics duo from Brooklyn, put out their debut album Mixed Emotions last summer. The steel drum sounds and, of course their name, went perfectly with the season.

Some may say that Get Up! is a new direction for Ben Harper, but it may actually be better labeled as a new beginning.